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Today our Journey team had the blessing of being able to visit Havilla. A long time friend of Invest, I have personally been encouraged to see all that God is doing through both Joseph and Salome, the couple that runs Havilla, since 2009. Being the home of many former Daraja Choir children, Havilla is always a great host of dancing and our interns jumped right in. From my seat, I was able to witness joy and freedom in today as our team had the chance to just dance and play with the children. I saw Christ's love in them today - jumping, hands lifted, running, cooking and all. What a testament to how much God is pouring into each of them; they are overflowing!
Enjoy our last posts from the interns!

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ASHLEIGH FAGGARD | I can hardly put in to words what God has been teaching me the past couple of weeks. It has been incredible to learn and trust how faithful and fatherly my wonderful God is. The first week was hard, real hard. I was stripped of comfort and family and I hated it, especially when our tent flooded in the middle of the night. But as our team says, Jesus is still Jesus. I love my team, my brothers and sisters. What’s not to love about a group that loves Africa, Jesus, card games, and harry potter? I love doing life with them. On a more serious note, after Community 1 I surrendered my worries to God about school aid and that night God worked through my parents and my leaders to ease my surrendered soul. How faithful He is. Since then, I have fallen in love with Community 2 and grown in God tremendously. When I was weak, He made me strong. When I failed, He gained glory. Anyway, back to the second community, the first day I got to attend church and sat by an 11 (Stephen) and 9 (Francis) year old. Those boys showed me up. As I was passing notes to them in church, like a middle schooler, trying to tell them of how much Jesus loved them, they started writing bible verses in my journal, without a Bible. I was shocked and excited that these kids got it. They really got it. It was an awesome first experience, and it only got better. I got to hear 3 year olds tell me that God gives wisdom, see a boy discover his smile and realize that he is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, and listen to someone in pain praise God through it all. While at the campsite in the second community, I was able to realize how beautiful and victorious God has made everything and that the everything includes me too. I am excited about the next communities and what God has in store for His children and am also excited for how God will use me in “real life.” :D Bwana asifwe! (Praise the Lord!)

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JOSH BRIDWELL | Well, I’ve absolutely delayed long enough on writing this post. I have been delaying this for the last couple of weeks because I haveno clue where to even begin. God has truly been working in my life since the beginning of Journey. God has slapped me in the face and made me think a lot. The first three communities were absolutely amazing. The people know and love Jesus which is extremely encouraging, but I think one of the places God moved a lot was in Segera.

In Segera, someone (I’m a little embarrassed that I don’t remember who) said a short statement about listening wherever I am. I can just as easily be doing things for my community in America that God has put around me. I don’t have to be in Africa to be a mission to others. This has absolutely been one of the most amazing experiences of my life so far, but there are things to be done at home, also. Seeing 18 and 19 year old men and women at Rejoice training wanting to change their community for Christ was another slap in the face. Age is just a number, and God can use whoever and whatever He wants to make His name famous (for real! read John 19:17-22!)

God is absolutely rocking my world right now and showing his faithfulness! Hearing about your dad having brain surgery and being 19 hours away was one of the hardest things I have ever had to experience. Once again, God showed his faithfulness to me, though. My community gathered around me and supported me better than I could have asked for. Memories are being made, God is being amazing, and I am learning so much. I pray that the next half of Journey is even better, and that God is able to move through us to show His love to the Africans.